Nick Powell's Switch To Wigan May Prove Crucial To His Development

By Stowe Gregory

Joe Toth – USA TODAY Sports

Nick Powell and Manchester United have made a strong and correct decision in loaning the midfielder to Wigan Athletic.

The 19 year old’s game time has been extremely limited since signing for the Premier League champions from Crewe Alexandra in 2012. It was infact Wigan that he scored on in his Manchester United début.

Injury hit Powell last season and that limited even his U21 League appearances, but the move to Wigan will benefit him. He needs first team football at a competitive level, and although the U21 League would help him develop, it wouldn’t be a true representation of the type of football and physicality he will encounter in the coming years.

He joins a club that although may be going through a transition, is still a suitable club. Dave Whelan stated that Nick Powell is a huge talent which suggests he will be considered a first team option of Wigan. More so, it is a short distance from Manchester – meaning there is no distribution that will hamper him.

Powell needs games, and the Championship is the best level for him. League 2 was the last level that he really played at, having played just one Premier League game with United. We’ve really yet to see just how he can cope against better opposition and he too is lacking in that area of experience.

Another interesting point is that with the opportunity now for first team football, he can seriously begin to settle down. We haven’t seen that in the past year or so. His lack of football combined with the injuries has meant his training and focus has been stop-start.

It’s a wise move from all parties involved, and it will be intriguing to see how it develops.

Stowe Gregory is an English featured Soccer and Sports writer for RantSports.com. Follow him or tweet on Twitter @stowegregory. Or add to circles on Google +